Apparatus for determining distance and direction.



P. W. FULLER.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING DISTANCE AND DIRECTION.

APPLICATION FILED Arm-1.1901. RENEwED Dec. 15.1914.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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APPARATUS Fon DETERMINING DISTANCE AND DIRECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4.1907. RENEWED DEC. 15.1914.

1, 1 49, 1 22 Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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P. W. FULLER.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING DISTANCE AND DIRECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR-4.1907. RENEWED DEC. I5 I9I4.

1 ,149,122. l Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/9 III V V V V V wil/fesses- 694W gw# @wwwa n sierras ra @FFME IPERCY W.FULLER, 0F BOSTON, MASSACUSETTS, ASSIG'NOB OF ONE-HALF TO AUGUST BERNARDPBAETSCH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

, APIPARATUS FOB. DETERMINING DISTANCE :AND DIRECTION.

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Application led April 4, 1997, Seal N o. 366,372.

To Aall whom, 'it mag/concern.'

Be it known that I, PERQY W. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, -have invented an Improvement in Apparatus forDetermining distance and direction of another .ship although it may beused for enabling a ship to determine the distance and direction of alighthouse or any other object on the shore, and may also be used onland to aid in determining distance and direction of objects.

The invention is suchthatit can be used either in daylightor` at night,and it is not interfered withto any great extentby fog, clouds, smoke orvapor.-

In carrying out my inventiony Ipropose z to make use of energy whichistransmitted by transverse waves, by which VI mean waves that have amovement transverse to the direction in which the energy is propagated.As familiar examples of energy of this class I would refer to light 'andelecobject to provide a system of signaling'for determining both thedistance and direction of an object, which system is made operative bymeans of energy thus transmitted intheform of transverse waves, yet inorder to eX plain the invention I havev chosen herein to Y illustrate anapparatus specially designed to` ,be operated byj-lfight rays andparticularly ultra-violet vrays although the invention is' notnecessarilyco'nfined to the vuse ofthese rays". -A signalsystemadaptedto be operated by the use'of these ultra-violet rays has theadvantage that it will not become dis- 50.

arranged by Waves of electriity,- nor 'will the use of it disarrangev orinterfere fwith wirelesstelegraph messages. f. Oneembodiment of myinventionv will Speoication. of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3,- 1915.

Renewed December 15, 1914. Serial No. 877,447.

first be described and then the novel features thereof pointed out inthe appended claims. i

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view of a boat showing one way in which itmight be equipped with my signal apparatus; Fig. 2

indicating means and direction-indicatingy means; Figs. 6 and 7 aredetail views of the distance-indicating means.

For indicating the direction of a distant object, I provide in thisembodiment of my invention a plurality of receivers 1, each arranged toreceive ultra-violet light rays or energynin some other form from aparticular ldirection. If the apparatus is used on a boat these4receivers would preferably be arranged in the arc of a circle, as shownin 4, a suiiicient number of them being used to cover substantially asemi-circle.

Each receiver is inrthe form of a hermetically-sealedpartially-exhausted glass chamber within which are two terminals 2 and-3that are connected to a circuit 4: having a lamp 6 therein.' Theterminal 2 is in the form of a the ultra' vlolet rays thrown upon it,and 'the terminal 3 is in the nature of a point. This chamber has atoneend a lens 5 ofsome material which will readily permit the passageofthe ultra-violet rays uartz being a good material for this purposef onthe plate The potentlal at theterminals 2, 3, is not suiiicient to causethe-current to jump the gap between the terminals under normalconditions, and, therefore, normally, the oircuit 4'is broken and thelamp`6 thereinwill not be lighted.

It isa-'demonstrated fact that when the terminals, such as 2, 3, of acircuit are. ar-

by-focusin ultra-violetjrays on the terminal 2, `e normal potentialofthe circuit plate set at an angle of 45 toj and which lis arrangedtofocus thel beam of light rays vranged in a hermetically-sealed chamberthe 'resistance betweensaid reduced has the properf'relation to thelnormal Ie-- sistance between the terminals, the focusing ofultra-violetrays-on the terminal 2 will result in reducing the. resistance betweenthe terminals suiliciently so that the potential at said terminals issuiiicient to cause the current to jump from one to the-other, -thus`practically closing thev circuit 4 `and. establishing a currenttherein.

I make use of this principle in the present embodiment of my inventionand maintain tween said terminals is reduced suliiciently to permit thecurrent to-flow, thereby 1n effect closing the normally-open clrcuit 4.As soon asthis occurs, the lamp 6 1n said the main vcirc1f1it"8. Withthis construction it--will be obvious that if the receivers are vcircuitwill'become lighted, as will be obvious.

It will be understood that iiipractice I propose to employ a pluralityof `hese receivers and a circuit 4 with a lamp therein noid Y12, thecore 13 of which is connected to Y Athe shutter .for the correspondinglensx9 so 9 when'the shutter is open on to an indicator that wheneverany circuit 4 is closed` the solenoid will be energized thereby lifting'its core and opening the shutter 11 of the corresponding lens 9.

vSituated back ofthe lenses 9 is a .mirror or reflector 14 which isadapted to reflect the ultra-violet rays that passvthrough any-lensdesignated generally by 15 which is arranged to indicate visually thedistance-of I source of electrical for each of the receivers, so thatthere' will be as many circuits 4 and as many lamps 6 as therearereceivers 1, each circuit 4 hav-v ing. its terminals 2, 3, as abovedescribed. All of these circuits may be supplied with current from acommon source of electrical energy 7, as seen in Fig. 3, and for thispurpose may readily be connected in parallel to arranged in the arc bfa'clrcle, as shown in l Fig. 4, and ultra-violet rays are emanating vfrom a distant object, some of. the rays will Vpass into the particularreceiver 1 which is.

directed toward the object and the corre# sponding circuit 4 will beclosed therebycausing the correspondinglamp 6 'to glow. Therefore, bymerely observing which one of A the' various lamps 6 islighted, theldirectionof the objectcan be readily determined.v l

For determining the distanceof the object I haveprovided -adistance-indicating means sensitive tothe waves projected from saidobject and adapted to visually indicate I' thel distance' of the objectfrom- 'the indicatcomprises a -pl y -each of the receivers 1, whichlenses are of a ing means. In the present embodiment of my.inventionthis4 distance-indicating means lity 'of lenses 9, one formaterial, lsuch as quartz, which will freely transmit' the ultra-violetYrays. 'These lenses 9 are herein shown. as situated ,in holders 10`which :are situated'di'rectly lover the receivers 1, and said lenses andvtheirv holdersconl, stituzreceivers forV the distance-indicating" vmeans; Each lens 1s normally screened by a shutter 1-1, and means areprovided for lens when .the ultra-violet rays pass; intthe vother lightrays.

the distant object. This-indicator is made up of a plurality of seleniumcells 16, each of which is ina circuit 17 that has a lamp 18 therein.These circuits 17 maybe supplied with current in any suitable way, andmay conveniently be cnnected to a common energy19, as shown in Fig. 7.g5 The resistance of the selenium cells is` such that no current willflow in any of the circuits 17 under normal conditions, and,therefore,none of the lamps 18 are normally lighted. These seleniumcells are preferably arranged' side by'side, or in a row, and situatedbetween adjacent cells' is some fluorescent substance 20which isadaptedto be illuminated when struck by ultra-violet or 95 -The mirror 14 ismounted to revolve very Y rapidly',say thirty thousand times a minute,and for this purpose I have shown it as mounted on a shaft 21, which maybe driven at this speed.

y 10c The indicator 15 is situated above the lens 9, andthe mirror 14 isgiven an inclination,

strike the mirror i4-as it, revolves -and be 110' reflected thereby onto the indicator 15, and when said rays strike the fluorescent'substance 20"between any, selenium cells said,l fluorescent s'substance becomes illuminated,

and lby lighting-up thefadjacent seleniumcell reduces theresistancelin'- the correspond- `ing circuit` suliiciently to permitcurrent enough to flow to light the corresponding lamp 18. f

The present embodiment of the invention. 4120 shows anar-rangementby'which the ultrav violet rays-which are projectedl from said' object'-are used in determining the'direction-ofthe object from the indicatingmeans,

while the 'ultra-violetfray's which are origi- T125,j

I nallyproduced' at the station where the obremoving. this shutter vfromiii-,front 'of any `server-'is and are projected on said distant -objectand then reflected'from said'ObjeCtvl `back tothe station again, are.usedfo'r de .termining the distance of the :obj ect from the] 13a]station. This arrangement is not essential to the invention, however.Where such an arrangement is used, however, I associate with theapparatus thus far described some suitable means for producing theseultraviolet rays, and as one convenient means I have shown an arc lampwhich is mounted on the shaft 21 and in which are used carbonsimpregnated with magnesium or some other suitable substance which whenburned will produce strong ultra-violet rays. rlhis lamp is shown asmounted within a parabolic reflector 31, the front of which is closed bya lens 32, preferably of quartz or some other material which willtransmit the i ultra-violet rays.

Since the lamp 30 is mounted on the shaft 21 it will rotate therewith,and as a result Hashes of ultra-violet rays will be transmitted indifferent directions.

To illustrate the operation of the device let us assume that there aretwo boats A and B. at sea equipped with my apparatus as above described.When boat B comes within range of the ultra-violet rays emanating fromboat A Some of said rays from boat A will pass. into that receiver 1 onboat B which is -directed toward boat A. As soon as this occurs, theresistance between the terminals 2 and 3 in said receiver is reducedsulliciently to permit the current to flow in the corresponding circuit4 thereby lighting the corresponding lamp 6 so that by observing whichlamp 6 is lighted the direction of boat A from boat B can be determined.The establishing of the current in the circuit 4 will open the shutter11 of the corresponding lens or receiver 9, as above described. Theultra-violet rays which emanate from the lamp 30 on boat B strike asuitable reilector carried by boat A and are reliected thereby back toboat B, these reflected rays entering the open shutter 11, passingthrough the lens 9 to the mirror 14 from which they are reflected on tothe indicator 15.

It is myintention to rotate the shaft 21 and the lamp 30 and the mirror14 carried thereby extremely rapidly, say at a speed of thirty thousandrevolutions per minute, which will result in thirty thousand flashes ofultra-violet rays per minute being sent in the direction of boat A fromboat B. Each flash is sent to boat A when the lamp points directlytoward said boat, and in this position the mirror 14 faces the lens 9.Each flash will be reflected by the reflector 35 on boat A back to themirror 14, as above described, but during the time that it has taken forthe light to travel from boat B to boat A and back again the shaft 21will vhave turned through a slight angle, the degree of vwhich willdepend upon the distance between the two boats, said shaft obviouslyhaving time to turn through a larger angle if the boats are ten milesapart than it would have if the boats were only ve miles apart. As aresult the ray of light reflected from the mirror 14 will not bereflected on to the scale 15 directly above the lens 9, but to one sidethereof a distance dependent upon the distance between the two boats.the ray reflected from the mirror 14 strikes the scale 15 it will causea current to flow in one of the circuits 17 by reducing the resistanceof the corresponding selenium cell and therefore one of the lamps 18will'be lighted. The lighted lamp G will indicate to the observer whichof the lenses 9 is open and will give the zero point for thecalculations necessary to determine the distance, and by using thelighted lamp G as a zero point, the distance of the boat A can bereadily calculated by noting the relation between the lighted lamp 6 andthe lighted lamp 18. Of course, in order to readily read this distance atable wouldhave to be prepared giving the proper relationship betweeneach of the lamps 6 when used as a zero point and each one of the lamps1S, so that by refer.--

ring to this prepared table the distance of the boat A can be instantly"read by noting which of the lamps G and 18 are lighted.

The reflector which is used for reflecting the ultra-violet rays fromboat A may be of any suitable shape and may be situated at any desiredpoint on the ship.

1 I have herein shown a multi-sided reflector situated directly back ofthe lamp 30 and extending above the same, the refleeting surfaces ofwhich may be mirrors, polished metal or of any other suitable charaeteradapted to reflect ultra-violet rays.

The receivers 1 may be all arranged in the same horizontal plane, asshown in Figs. 1

and 2. lenses or receivers 9 in different horizontal planes, because bythis means I am better enabled to make the signal non-interfering. Figs.1 and 2 show one arrangement of the lenses 9.

In practice I prefer to arrange the selenium Vcells 16 in groups, therebeing one group for each of the lenses 9, and in Fig. 2

I have illustrated diagramatically the groups of selenium lls.

The number of selenium cells in each group may be varied withoutdeparting from the invention. The greater the number of cells andthegreater the number of circuits 17 and lamps 18 in each group the greaterwill be the sensitiveness and range of the apparatus. y

^ Each group of selenium cells will have to have itsv proper positionwith relation to the corresponding lens 9, `so that a beam of light raystransmitted through said lens 9 'onto the. mirror 14, will be reectedonto the selenium cells of the group corresponding to said lens 9.

Wherever' I prefer however to arrange the By placing the lenses- 9 indifferent horizontal planes andsimilarly arranging the groups ofselenium cells 16 it will not be Preferably the lamps 6 and 18 will bevplaced in the pilot house or any other convenient place where they canbe observed by the proper persons.

The lenses 9 and the receivers 1, together with theselenium cells may beplaced in any convenient position on the' boat, and I have hereinillustrated them .as contained.

lwithin a housing 4Q situated above the pilot' house 41.

From the above description it will be seen that the reflector must bealways positioned .to reflect any ray of light striking it backl in thesame direction from which the ray lcame.

It is also preferable to employ a reflector withflat sides in order thatit may not disperse the rays striking it. Accordingly I make thereflector 35 flat-sided, as shown, and'mount it on a shaft 60 which isrotated at a proper speed, each rotation of the shaft changing theangular position of the reiect# ing faces. of. the reiector. l

Any suitable means for rotating the shafts l, 21 and 60 may be employed,and I' have hereinshown a synchronous motor 61 the shaft 'of which isgearedto the shafts'l and 60.

It will be understood'of cours-e that any suitable means may be employedfor rotating the shaft 21 at the proper speed, and simi-y larly anysuitable means may be employed for rotatingthe shaft 60.

- My. apparatus may be usedon other objects than' boats, and when usedon land the different elements of the apparatus will be placed in anysuitable or convenient position.

I have not attempted to illustrate herein i alll forms in which theinvention may be embodied, but have selected one embodiment only toillustrate the invention.

Since I believe that'I am the first to provide a signal system adaptedautomatically to indicate visually both the distanceand direction of oneobject from another by means of energy which is transmitted intransverse waves I desire to lclaiml this broadly and do not limit myinvention to the precise apparatus shown.

Having, described my invention what I' claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent is l1. `An apparatus for determining distancebetween two points comprising means. for projecting energy ,in the formof waves from sfone of said pomts, means at the other point indicatevisually projecting energy in the form of waves from one of said points,means at-the other point for reflecting said Waves, and electrical disstanceindicating means sensitive to sald .Y

waves and in position to. receive the reected waves.

3. An apparatus for determining distance ing means for indicating thedistance between said objects, and means for rendering between twopoints comprlsing means for said distance-indicating means operative bythe direction-indicating means.

5. In asignal device the combination with means to produce ultra-violetlight rays and means to project said rays onto adistant object, of meansto indicate by the ultra-violet rays 'reflectedfrom said object thedistance ofthe object from the light-producingl means.

6. In a signaling system, means to produce ultra-violet light rays attwo separated points, means rendered operative by :the ultra-violet raysgenerated atene point to indicate the direction of one point from theother, and means at the other point and rendered operative by theultra-violet rays produced at said latter point to indicate the' Idistance between said points.

7. A range-finding ,apparatuscomprising means to -produce energy in theform of transverse waves at two separated points,

- means rendered operative by the waves generated at one lpoint toindicate the direction of v one p'oint from the other, and means at theother point and rendered operative by the waves produced 'at said latterpoint to indicatethe distance between said points.

, 8. A range-finding apparatus comprising means to produce energy in theform of transverse waves at two separated points,

means rendered operative by the waves generated at one point to indicatethe direction of one pointl from the'other, and means at the other point`and rendered operative bythe waves produced ,at said latter point tothe distance between said points.

9. Anapparatus for projecting energy in the or'm Vof transfordetermining the dis- 4tance between 'two points com rismg means versewaves from one of said points, means at the other point for reflectingsaid waves, and distance-indicating means sensitive to said waves and in`position to receive the relected waves.

10. An apparatus for determining the distance between two points,comprising means for projecting energy in the form of transverse wavesfrom one ofsaid points, means in position to receive the refiectedwaves.

12. A distance-indicating apparatus comprising means for projectinglight rays,

means for reflecting said rays, and distanceindicating means sensitive.to said rays and positioned to receive the reiiected rays.

13. A distance-indicating apparatus comprising means for projectingultra-violet light rays, means Vfor reiiecting said rays from a pointthe distance of which is to be determined, and distance-indicating meanssensitive to said A7rays and positioned to receive the reflected rays.

lil. A device of the class described, comprising means to generate andproject ultraviolet light rays, a revolving reflector to receive andreect said rays, and distanceindicating means sensitive to said rays andpositioned to receive the reiected rays.

15. A device of the class described comprising means to generate andproject ultraviolet light rays, a revolving reflector to receive andreflect said rays, and distanceindicating means to indicate visually thedistance which the rays are reiected, said distance-indicating meansbeing sensitive to said rays and positioned to receive the reiectedrays. Y A

16, A device ofthe class described coinprising means to generate andproject ultraviolet light rays, a revolving reflectorto receive andreiiect said' rays, and. distanceindicating means to indicate thedistance.

which the rays are reiiected, said means including an electricalindicator. and means for operating the indicator, said meansbeingsensitive to said rays and positioned to receive them.

17 In a device of the class described, means to project ultra-violetlight rays, means to reiect said rays, and an electrical indicator toindicate the time taken for the rays to travel from the point ofprojection to the reflector and back to said indicator.

18. In a device of the class described, means to project ultra-violetlight rays, means to reflect said rays, and indicating m'eans includinga normally open circuit and means to close said circuit by the action ofthe reflected rays.

19. In a device of the class described,

means to project ultra-violet light rays, means to reflect said rays,and indicating means including a plurality of normally open circuits andmeans inl each circuit to close the latter by the action of saidreflected ra s.

Y0. In a device of the class'described, means to project energy in theform of waves, and means to indicate visually the direction from whichsaid waves come, said means being sensitive to said waves and adapted toreceive waves projected from any direction.

21. In a device of the class described, means to project energy in theform of transverse waves, and visual direction-indicating meanssensitive to said waves and positioned to receive them when projectedfrom a plurality of directions.

22. In a device of the class described, means .to project energy in theform of transverse waves, and direction-indicating means sensitive tosaid Waves and positioned to receive them when projected from anyone ofa plurality of directions and provided: with means to indicate visuallythe direction from which the waves come.

23. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pluralityof circuits each having a resistance therein which is varied by lightrays, of` movable light-receiving means to direct-light rays onto theresistance in one of said circuits.

24. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pluralityof open circuits, of means to receive transverse waves projected from adistant point, and means to close one or another of said circuitsdepending on the distance of `said point by the action of the receivedwaves.

25. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pluralityof normally open circuits, of means rendered operative Vby wavesprojected from a distant point to close one or another of said circuitsdepending on the distance of said oint.

Y 26. In a device of the c ass described, the combination with aplurality of normally open circuits, each corresponding to a certaindistance, of means to receive transverse waves projected from a distantpoint, and means to close that circuit which corresponds to thedistancebetween said point and the receiving means by the action of the wavesreceived by said receiving means.

27. Ina device of the class described, the combination with a lluralityof open circuits each correspon g to' a definite distance, of means toreceive light rays projected from a distant point, and means to closethat circuit corresponding to the distance between said receiving meansand said point by the action of the received rays.

28. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pluralityof receivers each arranged to receive waves projected in a particulardirection, and means to indicate visually when waves thus projected havebeen received by any-receiver.

29. In a device of the class described, the combination with alplurality of receivers eacharranged to receive waves projected in aparticular direction, and means to indicate visually when such projectedwaves have been received by any receiver, .of

means to indicate automatically the distance between -said receiver andthe point from which the waves are projected.

combination with 'means to project waves,

i i of a plurality of wave-receiving devices each arranged to receivewaves from oneI direction only, means to indicate whenwaves have been'received by each receiver, and means to indicate simultaneously thedistance from the projecting means to the receiver'.

31. An apparatus for determining the distance between o'ne point and adistant point and the direction of said distant point from thefirst-named point comprising means for .projecting ultra-violet raysfrom said irstand other means at said Erst-named point` andrenderedoperative by ultra-violet light rays projected from saidfirst-named point and reflected from the distant point to indicate, thedistance between said points. l'

32. An apparatusfor determining the distance and the direction vot onepoint from the other comprising means for projecting waves at 'eachpoint, means at one point and rendered operative by lWaves projectedfrom said 'point and reflected from the other point to indicate thedistance between saidy points,

f and means at one point and rendered opera- 30. In a device of theclass described, the` tive by waves projected fromthe other point toindicate th'e direction of the latter point from the former point. w

In testimony whereof, have Signed my name to this speciication, thepresenceA of two subscribing witnesses. v

-PERCY W. FULLER. Witnesses:

Louis C. SMITH, 'MARGARET A. DUNN:

